Pop Culture Icon Butch Patrick on Conquering Prostate Cancer

by Jessica Webb

Butch Patrick made a name for himself as a child
actor in the 1960s. Through his role as wolf-boy
Eddie Munster, the son of a family of monsters in
the syndicated television sitcom The Munsters, he has become
an American icon. As an adult, however, Butch’s career
stalled as he struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Then just when he had finally conquered his addictions, he
found himself facing yet another life-threatening adversary
– prostate cancer.

Butch’s acquaintance with prostate cancer began before his
decision to get sober. After a high PSA measurement during a
routine checkup and subsequent biopsy, Butch was prepared
for the news that he had cancer. In a recent interview with
Coping®, Butch admits he was in a dark place at the time.
“I had been dealing with addiction for so long that I honestly
was not too concerned about dying,” he says. “I had the high
rating, I did the biopsy, and I was ready for it to be cancer.
I had pretty much accepted that.” However, his biopsy results
were negative.

Instructed to have his PSA checked again in a couple of
years, Butch followed his doctor’s orders. This time, his PSA
was even higher, and a biopsy revealed what he had initially
expected. He had prostate cancer.
Butch’s diagnosis came after he had completed treatment
for drug and alcohol addiction at Oasis Treatment Center in
Anaheim, CA. Armed with a new attitude and a positive outlook
on life, Butch’s reaction was to fight. “This is not going
to kill me. It’s something I’ll fight, and I’ll get better and move
on,” Butch says of his reaction to the diagnosis. And that’s
exactly what he did.

“This is not going to kill me. It’s
something I’ll fight, and I’ll get better
and move on.”

Given the choice between radiation and surgery to remove
his prostate, Butch chose the da Vinci prostatectomy, a minimally
invasive, robotic-assisted surgical procedure that would
remove his prostate gland. Having already booked several
personal appearances throughout the country, as part of what
would be known as Butch Patrick’s Whistle Stop Halloween
Tour, he had hoped to postpone the surgery until after the tour
ended. However, his cancer was aggressive, and his doctors
urged him take care of it immediately. “So I did it, and eleven
days after my surgery, I got on a train for a month-long trip,”
Butch says. “That was probably the toughest part of the whole
deal – getting through the next 30 days, bumping along on
a train, taking care of business that I just couldn’t blow off.”
After his nationwide tour, Butch claims to be nearly an expert
on what not to do after surgery.

Butch’s road to recovery began on his month-long train
trip, but it didn’t end there. After learning he had prostate cancer,
Butch also found out he was diabetic. “The combination
of my age, prostate removal, being diabetic, and being drug
and alcohol free, all at the same time, kind of set my whole
body into a new realm of existence,” Butch explains. “What
I’m dealing with right now is just getting back into sex drive
mode,” he continues. “That’s probably the biggest change I’ve
noticed. There’s not a lot of get up and go when it comes
to sexual desire.”

Although Butch admits that it took a while for him to feel
normal again after his treatment, spirituality and a realistic
mindset have given him the strength to cope throughout his
experience with cancer. “If this is the worst thing that could
happen in my life, I’m pretty lucky considering what some
people go through,” he admits.

His ability to take direction – a trait he picked up as a child
actor – has also contributed to his successful recovery. “I listen
to my doctor. I do what he tells me to do, and that’s pretty
much it,” says Butch. “‘G.O.D. – good, orderly direction’
is my mantra.”

These days, Butch is cancer free, making personal appearances,
and sharing the lessons he’s learned through his life
experiences. “For a long time, I was hiding out, and I wasn’t
too proud of myself,” he says. “Now, every day I do this,
I feel good.”